When conducting some surgical procedures, it is often desirable to retract tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,540 shows several retractor designs which allow for top loading or side loading of retractor blades into a socket. The side loading feature of this, and other prior art, is believed to be advantageous whereby the surgeon's vision is not obscured while connecting, or disconnecting a blade from a retractor. This reference discusses the use of this socket in longitudinal retractors, and transverse retractors, as well.
The '540 patent does not contemplate two instruments retaining a single retractor blade at a given period in time. Specifically, the connector head illustrated and described is intended to be received in a single socket. Furthermore, the retractors illustrated in the reference are not described as being connectable to a stable frame such as bed rails or other secure support. While two retractor blades may be placed within an incision in a patient with this device, a problem experienced by surgeons is that one side sometimes tends to ride up and out of the wound since the incision is under tension (i.e., tends to close itself). One of the blades will often dig into its proper position, but there is a tendency in many instances for the other opposing blade to ride up out of the incision.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,827 shows a gooseneck adjustment member connected to a retractor blade for use in back surgery. While this device will place a single retractor blade in a fixed position, the reference does not suggest the maintenance of two retractor blades moveable relative to one another with a retractor in a desired position. Furthermore, the connection of the gooseneck adjustment member to the retractor blade itself could be improved. Also this gooseneck device does not connect to a retractor member, only to a single retractor blade.
While patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,961 are directed to retractor assemblies, this device is not a traditional retractor as the only way to retract tissue with this device without using other retractors or retractor blades is to loosen a clamp and pull the retractor blade along its shaft axis. As a practical matter this would be very difficult is the blades are already under tension spreading an incision apart.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved method of retaining a retractor at a desired location in an incision, and a device for implementing the method.